Gus Mansford

Augustus Edward Cheesman Craig Mansford OBE (27 September 1885 – 13 June 1962) was Mayor of Palmerston North (New Zealand) from 1931 to 1947; the longest-serving mayor in the city's history.

Mansford in c. 1932

Early life

Mansford was born in 1885 at Suffolk Villa in Wellington.[1] His father was Alfred Edward Nelson (died 1921) and his mother was Jessie Graham Mansford (née Cheesman, 1851–1898).[2][3] Gus Mansford had two younger siblings; his sister Ellen was born in 1887 and his brother Thomas was born in 1890.[4] Mansford received his education at Nelson College.[5]

In 1906, Mansford moved to Palmerston North.[6] On 4 May 1907, he married Margaret Anne Douley (listed as Donley in Who's Who in New Zealand).[5][7]

Sport

Mansford played cricket; first for Nelson and then (from 1907) for Manawatu. He held an Australasian record for cycling.[5]

Business

In October 1906, Mansford bought an auctioneering business in Palmerston North from Henry Munro.[8] The owners of the auctioneering business—including Mansford—sold the business in November 1907.[9] Subsequently, Mansford worked as an accountant.[5]

Public service

Mansford first stood for the Palmerston North Borough Council at the April 1927 local election and was successful.[10][11] In 1929, Mansford first stood for the Hospital Board and topped the poll.[12]

Mansford first contested the Palmerston North mayoralty at the May 1931 local election and had a clear victory over the other candidate, Meldrum Alfred Eliott.[13] At the subsequent mayoral elections in 1933 and 1935, Mansford was returned unopposed.[14][15] At the 1938 local election, Mansford was challenged by a Labour Party candidate, Victor Alexander Christensen, for the mayoralty but regained his position with a substantial majority.[16] At the 1941 local election, Mansford was challenged by Clarence Robert Murphy (Labour) and Blair Tennent (National) for the mayoralty but he was once again successful.[17] At the 1944 local election, Mansford was declared elected unopposed.[18]

Mansford contested the Palmerston electorate (later Palmerston North electorate) three times as an independent, and on all three occasions he was defeated by the Labour Party candidate. At the 1935 election, Joe Hodgens defeated Mansford by a small margin. The incumbent, Jimmy Nash of the Reform Party, came third and this defeat caused ongoing friction between Mansford and the National Party (Reform renamed as National in 1936).[19] At the 1943 election, Hodgens narrowly defeated Mansford in another three-way contest.[20] At the 1946 election, Mansford was defeated by Ormond Wilson in a two-way contest.[21]

In 1936, Mansford was first appointed to the council of Massey Agricultural College. In 1947, he was chairman of the council before he retired at the end of the year.[22]

Mansford was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 1946 New Year Honours "for patriotic and social welfare services".[23]

Death

Mansford died on 13 June 1962 and was interred at Kelvin Grove Cemetery.[24] His wife died on 3 September 1963 and was buried next to him.[25]

References
  1. "Births". New Zealand Mail (709). 2 October 1885. p. 12. Retrieved 25 March 2019.
  2. "Death". Nelson Evening Mail. LIV. 21 December 1921. p. 4. Retrieved 25 March 2019.
  3. "Deaths". Colonist. XLII (9340). 28 November 1898. p. 2. Retrieved 25 March 2019.
  4. "Births". New Zealand Mail (802). 15 July 1887. p. 18. Retrieved 25 March 2019.
  5. Petersen, George Conrad (1961). Who's Who in New Zealand, 1961 (7th ed.). Wellington: A.H. & A.W. Reed. p. 203.
  6. "Municipal Elections". Manawatu Standard. XLVII (124). 23 April 1927. p. 1. Retrieved 26 March 2019.
  7. Marriage registration number 1907/3206; Department of Internal Affairs
  8. "Untitled". Manawatu Standard. XLI (8106). 10 October 1906. p. 8. Retrieved 25 March 2019.
  9. "Commercial". Manawatu Standard. XLI (8447). 25 November 1907. p. 5. Retrieved 25 March 2019.
  10. "Municipal Elections". Manawatu Standard. XLVII (129). 30 April 1927. p. 10. Retrieved 26 March 2019.
  11. "To-Day's Elections". Manawatu Times. LII (3582). 27 April 1927. p. 6. Retrieved 26 March 2019.
  12. "Municipal Elections". Manawatu Standard. XLIX (129). 2 May 1929. p. 2. Retrieved 26 March 2019.
  13. "Municipal Elections". Manawatu Standard. LI (132). 7 May 1931. p. 2. Retrieved 26 March 2019.
  14. "City of Palmerston North". Manawatu Standard. LIII (121). 20 April 1933. p. 8. Retrieved 26 March 2019.
  15. "Local Body Polls". Manawatu Standard. LV (121). 24 April 1935. p. 7. Retrieved 26 March 2019.
  16. "City's Heavy Poll". Manawatu Standard. LVIII (138). 12 May 1938. p. 11. Retrieved 26 March 2019.
  17. "Swing against Labour". Manawatu Standard. LXI (143). 19 May 1941. p. 8. Retrieved 26 March 2019.
  18. "The Municipal Elections". Manawatu Standard. LXIV (150). 25 May 1944. p. 4. Retrieved 26 March 2019.
  19. "The Palmerston Seat". Manawatu Standard. LVI (7). 6 December 1935. p. 8. Retrieved 26 March 2019.
  20. "Close Contest". Manawatu Standard. LXIII (256). 27 September 1943. p. 6. Retrieved 26 March 2019.
  21. "Final Count". Otago Daily Times (26327). 5 December 1946. p. 6. Retrieved 26 March 2019.
  22. "Past Officers and Members of the Council and Honourary Graduates". Massey University. Archived from the original on 25 May 2015. Retrieved 22 May 2015.
  23. "No. 37410". The London Gazette (Supplement). 28 December 1945. p. 160.
  24. "Warrant". Palmerston North City Council. Retrieved 26 March 2019.
  25. "Warrant". Palmerston North City Council. Retrieved 26 March 2019.
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